Pool lane bumper

ABSTRACT

A bumper that can be placed near the end of a lane and thereby prevent swimmers colliding with the pool wall. The bumper may be partially or completely air-filled or fabricated from a material that renders the bumper buoyant or semi-submerged (e.g., foam); a solid bumper may or may not need to be inflated and may not need to be filled. The bumper may be directly attached to the pool wall using, e.g., an eye hook or ess hook mounted in the wall, or indirectly attached to the pool wall using, e.g., an attachment to a pool lane line.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of co-pending United Statesprovisional application No. 61/995,379, filed on Apr. 10, 2014, theentire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference as if set forthin its entirety herein.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to methods and apparatus for swimmingpool safety, and more specifically to the use of a semi-submergiblebumper to help prevent swimmer injuries.

BACKGROUND

Swimming is a popular sport for young and old alike. Swimmers, however,can suffer serious injury when they swim down a lane, misjudge where thelane ends, and collide headfirst with the wall, potentially injuringtheir head or other body parts, such as the hands, face, feet, etc.

Accordingly, there is a need for methods and apparatus that can helpreduce these injuries.

SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the DetailedDescription section. This summary is not intended to identify keyfeatures or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is itintended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimedsubject matter.

Various embodiments of the invention provide a bumper that can be placednear the end of a lane and thereby help prevent swimmers colliding withthe pool wall. The bumper may be partially or completely air-filled orfabricated from a material that renders the bumper buoyant orsemi-submerged. The bumper may be directly attached to the pool wallusing, e.g., an eye hook or ess hook mounted in the wall, or indirectlyattached to the pool wall using, e.g., an attachment to a pool laneline.

In one aspect, embodiments of the present invention relate to a poolsafety apparatus having a bumper and at least one mechanism for fixingthe position of the bumper in a pool.

In one embodiment, the at least one mechanism affixes the bumper to alane line. In one embodiment, the at least one mechanism affixes thebumper to a bolt or S-hook attached to the pool. In one embodiment, thebumper is fabricated from rubber, nylon, vinyl, plastic, open cell foam,closed cell foam, or polyester.

In one embodiment, the at least one mechanism comprises a D-ring hinge,Velcro, a suction cup, magnets, glue, concrete, adhesive, bolt, screw,grommet, or bracket. The mechanism may further comprise a tether. Thetether may be elastic, non-elastic, adjustable or flexible.

In one embodiment, the bumper further includes a structure for adjustingthe buoyancy of the bumper. The structure may be, e.g., a valve or awatertight zipper. In one embodiment, the bumper is filled at least inpart with water, gel, sand or other dense material to offset itsbuoyancy.

In another aspect, embodiments of the present invention relate to amethod for deploying a pool safety apparatus. The method includesplacing a bumper in a pool; and fixing the position of the bumper in thepool.

In one embodiment, fixing the bumper position comprises affixing thebumper to a lane line. In another embodiment, fixing the bumper positioncomprises affixing the bumper to an eye bolt or S-hook attached to thepool. In one embodiment, the bumper is fabricated from rubber, nylon,vinyl, plastic, open cell foam, closed cell foam, or polyester.

In one embodiment, the position of the bumper is fixed using a D-ringhinge, grommet, Velcro, a suction cup, magnets, glue, concrete,adhesive, bolt, screw, or bracket. In one embodiment, the position ofthe bumper is additionally fixed using a tether. The tether may beelastic, adjustable, or flexible.

In one embodiment, the bumper further includes a structure for adjustingthe buoyancy of the bumper, and the method further comprises adjustingthe buoyancy of the bumper using the structure. The structure may fillthe bumper at least in part with water, gel, sand or other densematerial to offset its buoyancy. The structure may be, e.g., a valve ora water-tight zipper.

In yet another aspect, embodiments of the present invention relate to aswimming pool comprising a reservoir filled with fluid, an inflatablebumper, and at least one means for affixing the bumper to a side of thereservoir. The bumper may be directly or indirectly affixed to the sideof the reservoir.

These and other features and advantages, which characterize the presentnon-limiting embodiments, will be apparent from a reading of thefollowing detailed description and a review of the associated drawings.It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are explanatory only and are notrestrictive of the non-limiting embodiments as claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments are described with referenceto the following figures in which:

FIG. 1 is an illustration of the exterior of one embodiment of a poolsafety apparatus in accord with the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is an illustration of the pool safety apparatus of FIG. 1deployed in a pool.

In the drawings, like reference characters generally refer tocorresponding parts throughout the different views. The drawings are notnecessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed on the principlesand concepts of operation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Various embodiments are described more fully below with reference to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and which show specificexemplary embodiments. However, embodiments may be implemented in manydifferent forms and should not be construed as limited to theembodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided sothat this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fullyconvey the scope of the embodiments to those skilled in the art.Embodiments may be practiced as methods, systems or devices. Thefollowing detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in alimiting sense.

Reference in the specification to “one embodiment” or to “an embodiment”means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic describedin connection with the embodiments is included in at least oneembodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase “in oneembodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarilyall referring to the same embodiment.

In addition, the language used in the specification has been principallyselected for readability and instructional purposes, and may not havebeen selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter.Accordingly, the disclosure of the present invention is intended to beillustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the invention, which isset forth in the claims.

In brief overview, various embodiments of the invention provide a bumperthat can be placed near the end of a lane and thereby help preventswimmers hitting an unprotected pool wall with the head or other bodyparts (face, nose, arms, feet, etc.). The bumper may be partially orcompletely air-filled or fabricated from a material that renders thebumper buoyant or semi-submerged. The bumper may be directly attached tothe pool wall using, e.g., an eye hook or ess hook mounted in the wall,or indirectly attached to the pool wall using, e.g., an attachment to apool lane line.

The bumper can be permanent or removable from the pool. It can be setinto place or removed with ease. When deployed, it can be adjusted tofit snuggly against the pool wall such that it will stay in proximity tothe wall despite contact from swimmers.

FIG. 1 presents an illustration of the exterior of one embodiment of apool safety apparatus 100 in accord with the present invention. Theexterior surface 104 of the apparatus is fabricated from a durable,UV-resistant, semi-elastic material such as rubber, nylon, vinyl,plastic, open cell foam, closed cell foam, polyester, etc.

Some embodiments of the apparatus 100 will also include a mechanism foraffixing the bumper 100 to the side of the pool. The embodiment shown inFIG. 1 utilizes a D-ring hinge 104 which allows a tether 108 to be usedto affix the apparatus 100 to the side of the pool, the pool gutter, thelane line, an eye bolt, an ess hook, etc. (not shown). Tethering theapparatus 100 to an eye bolt, wall, or lane line may be possibleregardless of the size or depth of the pool, or the presence of gutters.

The tether 108 itself may be elastic, non-elastic, or merely flexible(e.g., such as a nylon tether). The tether 108 may be adjustable inlength, and shortening the tether 108 after attachment can be used tofirmly hold the apparatus 100 in place. The tether acts as theattachment to the pool wall by which the user can remove the apparatusfrom the wall of the pool with ease. The tether 108 may be adjustable byvirtue of its elasticity, and other embodiments of the tether 108 usesnaps and clips to adjust its length.

Although the embodiment of FIG. 1 depicts an apparatus 100 with D-ringhinges 104 and tethers 108 on both sides, the scope of the inventionencompasses, e.g., apparatus 100 having a single D-ring hinge 104, threehinges 104, etc.

Still other embodiments of the apparatus 100 are free-floating and aredeployed in the end of the lane, where mass keeps it in place; thesefree-floating apparatus 100′ may be weighted to keep them in place. Yetanother embodiment of the apparatus is bolted directly to the wallwithout needing to be inflated or filled.

When the bumper is inflatable, it may include a mechanism that can beused to inflate the bumper with air or another buoyant fluid. The valve112 may also be used to adjust the buoyancy of the bumper by releasingbuoyant fluid and/or admitting a denser substance (such as water orsand), rendering the bumper submerged or semi-submerged. The valves 112can vary in diameter and may be fabricated from, e.g., plastic with ascrew top, but can be fabricated from a variety of other materials.Other embodiments of the apparatus 100 offer similar functionalityusing, e.g., a water-tight or airtight zipper.

The dimensions of the apparatus 100 can vary significantly amongembodiments, and are typically selected to match the size of a pool or apool lane. The apparatus 100 may also be sized to fit the “average”pool, i.e., ranging from four to eight feet in length when filled withair, or a combination of water and air. When deployed, the distancebetween the bumper and the wall is typically one to fourteen inches whenthe bumper is filled with water and air and one eighth to three incheswhen the bumper is only filled with air. The fascia or curtain of thebumper, hanging down into the water, ranges 4 to 18 inches when filledwith water and 3-18 inches without water.

The dimensions of the tether 108 may vary significantly amongembodiments. One example of a tether 108 will typically be between threeand thirty-six inches long, between one half and three inches wide, witha thickness with approximately one quarter inch.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of the pool safety apparatus of FIG. 1deployed in a swimming pool.

The apparatus is also suitable for facilitating flip-turns incompetitive swimming. When the apparatus is deployed in a lane, theapparatus may have a depth and color distinction from the pool wallwhich encourages swimmers to begin their flip turns at the properdistance to the wall. If the swimmer misjudges the depth of theapparatus 100 (and therefore, their distance from the wall) s/he willbrush against the bumper (instead of hitting the concrete wall)indicating that s/he is too close to the wall.

The apparatus may also be used as a visual aid by coloring it incontrasting colors. If the swimmer misjudges the depth of the apparatus(and therefore, their distance from the wall) s/he will brush againstthe bumper indicating that s/he is too close to the wall. Repeatedlypracticing their turns will help the swimmer learn how to better gaugetheir distance from the wall.

Embodiments of the present disclosure, for example, are described abovewith reference to block diagrams and/or operational illustrations ofmethods, systems, and computer program products according to embodimentsof the present disclosure. The functions/acts noted in the blocks mayoccur out of the order as shown in any flowchart. For example, twoblocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantiallyconcurrent or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order,depending upon the functionality/acts involved. Additionally, not all ofthe blocks shown in any flowchart need to be performed and/or executed.For example, if a given flowchart has five blocks containingfunctions/acts, it may be the case that only three of the five blocksare performed and/or executed. In this example, any of the three of thefive blocks may be performed and/or executed.

The description and illustration of one or more embodiments provided inthis application are not intended to limit or restrict the scope of thepresent disclosure as claimed in any way. The embodiments, examples, anddetails provided in this application are considered sufficient to conveypossession and enable others to make and use the best mode of theclaimed embodiments. The claimed embodiments should not be construed asbeing limited to any embodiment, example, or detail provided in thisapplication. Regardless of whether shown and described in combination orseparately, the various features (both structural and methodological)are intended to be selectively included or omitted to produce anembodiment with a particular set of features. Having been provided withthe description and illustration of the present application, one skilledin the art may envision variations, modifications, and alternateembodiments falling within the spirit of the broader aspects of thegeneral inventive concept embodied in this application that do notdepart from the broader scope of the claimed embodiments.

What is claimed is:
 1. A pool safety apparatus comprising: a bumper; andat least one mechanism for fixing the position of the bumper in a pool.2. The pool safety apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least onemechanism affixes the bumper to a lane line.
 3. The pool safetyapparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least one mechanism affixes thebumper to a bolt or S-hook attached to the pool.
 4. The pool safetyapparatus of claim 1 wherein the bumper is fabricated from rubber,nylon, vinyl, plastic, open cell foam, closed cell foam, or polyester.5. The pool safety apparatus of claim 1 wherein the at least onemechanism comprises a D-ring hinge, Velcro, a suction cup, magnets,glue, concrete, adhesive, a bolt, a screw, grommet, or a bracket.
 6. Thepool safety apparatus of claim 5 wherein the at least one mechanismfurther comprises a tether.
 7. The pool safety apparatus of claim 6wherein the tether is elastic, non-elastic, adjustable, or flexible. 8.The pool safety apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bumper furthercomprises a structure for adjusting the buoyancy of the bumper.
 9. Thepool safety apparatus of claim 8 wherein the structure is a valve or anwatertight zipper.
 10. The pool safety apparatus of claim 1 wherein thebumper is filled at least in part with water or sand to offset itsbuoyancy.
 11. A method for deploying a pool safety apparatus, the methodcomprising: placing a bumper in a pool; and fixing the position of thebumper in the pool.
 12. The method of claim 11 wherein fixing the bumperposition comprises affixing the bumper to a lane line.
 13. The method ofclaim 11 wherein fixing the bumper position comprises affixing thebumper to a bolt or S-hook attached to the pool.
 14. The method of claim11 wherein the bumper is fabricated from rubber, nylon, vinyl, plastic,open cell foam, closed cell foam, or polyester.
 15. The method of claim11 wherein the position of the bumper is fixed using a D-ring hinge,grommet, Velcro, a suction cup, magnets, glue, concrete, adhesive, abolt, a screw, or a bracket.
 16. The method of claim 15 wherein theposition of the bumper is additionally fixed using a tether.
 17. Themethod of claim 16 wherein the tether is elastic, adjustable, orflexible.
 18. The method of claim 11 wherein the bumper furthercomprises a structure for adjusting the buoyancy of the bumper, and themethod further comprises adjusting the buoyancy of the bumper using thestructure.
 19. The method of claim 18 wherein using the structure fillsthe bumper at least in part with water or sand to offset its buoyancy.20. The method of claim 18 wherein the structure is a valve or awatertight zipper.